Halloween 2008

Today was a great day!
We had a lot of fun,
a little bit of stress
and lots of SUGAR!!!

Luke's school didn't allow costumes today, so they had crazy hair day instead.

Emry & I made spooks today for an after school treat that we shared with some friends in our neighborhood. I haven't made them in a really long time. I over cooked them slightly so we called them "California Spooks" (you know, because they're so tan!). Don't laugh too hard!

Even Carley got in on some Spook Action! She cried when she couldn't have anymore.

Trent was on call tonight, and let me tell you it was quite an ordeal getting everyone ready (we lost Carley's costume (found it in the laundry basket), could only find 1 of Emry's shoes (she wore gym shoes instead), candy bowl put out, jack-o-lanterns lit, pictures taken and family fed before the sugar rush.

The actual event of trick-or-treating went good.

I pulled Carley in the wagon as the big kids ran from house to house.
Carley stayed in the wagon without complaining the entire evening.
She just looked around at everything and enjoyed the ride......she also enjoyed a few suckers.

Emry spent most of the night being a lookie-lu.
She stopped for this princess, "Oh, you look so pretty!"
and she stopped for that fairy, "Oh, Tinkerbell, I like your wings!"
and she touched each and every pumpkin and yard decoration in a 1/2 mile radius of our house.

Luke tried his best to be patient with Emry,
but she was seriously cramping his style and s.l.o.w.i.n.g. him down.
He liked seeing all of his friends costumes
and was glad that we only saw 1 other kids dressed up as Speed Racer the entire night.
He loved all the really creepy decorations and in the end was disappointed that our own yard was not more "festive", to which I replied, "when you're big enough to help me decorate maybe we can do something really spooky, I'll let you plan it all out."
He liked that idea very much.

Happy Halloween!!! Trick-or-Treat!!! Happy Haunting!!!

Daring Baker's Challenge - October

This month's challenge was to make homemade pizza dough, easy enough, but their was a catch...you had to attempt a hand tossing!!! I was a little intimidated and I really hedged and procrastinated completing this challenge. BUT to my surprise, it was fun and easy! The dough was sooo easy and quick to make. The tossing went pretty well for a first timer. It was probably pure comedy to see in action, but I only dropped one crust, once. The best part was eating the finished product. It's a very tasty, basic crust. Next time I'll be more adventurous and put spices in the crust.

BASIC PIZZA DOUGH
Original recipe taken from “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart.

Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter).

Ingredients:
4 1/2 Cups Unbleached high-gluten (%14) bread flour or all purpose flour, chilled
1 3/4 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Instant yeast
1/4 Cup Olive oil or vegetable oil (both optional, but it’s better with)
1 3/4 Cups Water, ice cold (40° F)
1 Tb sugar

cornmeal for dusting

DAY ONE

Method:
1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer).

2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are homogeneously distributed. If it is too wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water.

NOTE: If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for the same amount of time.The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour, so that it clears the sides. If, on the contrary, it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water.
The finished dough should be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50°-55° F/10°-13° C.

3. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.

4. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas).

NOTE: To avoid the dough from sticking to the scraper, dip the scraper into water between cuts.

5. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball.

NOTE: If the dough sticks to your hands, then dip your hands into the flour again.

6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.

7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to thee days.

NOTE: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case, pour some oil(a few tablespoons only) in a medium bowl and dip each dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza, remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the refrigerator.

DAY TWO

8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.

9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500° F/260° C).

NOTE: If you do not have a baking stone, then use the back of a jelly pan. Do not preheat the pan.

10. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum flour or cornmeal. Flour your hands (palms, backs and knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper. Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss.

NOTE: Make only one pizza at a time.
During the tossing process, if the dough tends to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue the tossing and shaping. In case you would be having trouble tossing the dough or if the dough never wants to expand and always springs back, let it rest for approximately 5-20 minutes in order for the gluten to relax fully,then try again. You can also resort to using a rolling pin, although it isn’t as effective as the toss method.

11. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough), place it on the back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide and not stick to the pan.

12. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

13. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for about 5-8 minutes.

NOTE: After 2 minutes baking, take a peek. For an even baking, rotate 180°.

If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone or jelly pane to a lower shelf before the next round. On the contrary, if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone or jelly.

14. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5 minutes before slicing or serving.

The Carving of the Jack 0 Lanterns, 2008

Tonight we finally carved our pumpkins!!!

You just can't avoid having a good time when you stick your hand inside and feel the eewey gewey innards of the pumpkin. It's such a distinct sensation, that it immediately causes one to recollect all prior carving experiences.
What great family traditions and memories we are creating here!!

Here are the finished products.
Luke's is on the left, it's a vampire....oooh ahh ahh ahh!
Emry's is on the right, it's a scary pumpkin....boo!

HAPPY HAUNTING!

5 favorite things...october 26, 2008

• The Family Proclamation. Since defining marriage and families is in the news right now, I've been thinking a lot about what I believe, why I believe it and how it affects myself, my children, my family, my neighbors, etc. Here in California, the debate is getting really heated. My neighbor went door to door trying to gain support for marriage being between a man and a woman and a man began spraying my neighbor and his 5 month old son!! with the water hose! AND a lady put a sticker on her car window and it got keyed all over. Can you believe that. I can't believe that people can be so shallow. It's sad to me that we can't all have our opinions and be respected for them. I'm so thankful that we have been given this Proclamation by the prophet. It's nice to have a clear outline on the definitions of such serious issues that are now so prominent in our society. If you want to read The Family, A Proclamation to the World, click here.
• Friends. The kids have been having so much fun playing with friends lately, it's such a nice feeling to have friends that play so nicely together.
• Nie Nie. I've been following her story thru her sister Cortney's blog. The story is so tragic and uplifting and inspiring at the same time. I truly feel like she has made me want to be a better wife and mother. If you haven't already looked into it, grab a box of Kleenex and start reading here.
• Brownies....doesn't that sound good.
• Food Network Challenges...they've been having all their Halloween cake and gingerbread decorating competitions. Lots of fun to watch!
  

Little Girls.

OK, I confess, I wasn't the most girlie of little girls. When I was young, I played with my brothers, got dirty, ran around town barefoot, and was punished every Sunday by having to wear a dress. I think the man upstairs is playing a funny joke on me AND having the last laugh! Whoever decided that it would be beneficial to me to have and attempt to raise 2 girls must have overlooked my qualifications!

Fact: Carley & Emry are 2 of the girliest girls I know.

The Cons: screaming, giggleing, biting, scratching, picky eaters, moody moody, demanding, stubborn.

The Pros: giggleing, endearing, loving, happy, inquisitive, cute clothes, pretty hair, fun, imaginative, whitty, adorable, sweet, cuddley, charming.

Now, let me tell you about my morning. No, let me show you what is quickly becoming a daily occurrence at our house.

Here is Carley this morning throwing the biggest fit. Why? you might ask yourself. Because she doesn't like what she is wearing! Can you believe that, she's only 14 months old. Isn't she a little young to be asserting this kind of independence??? PS...she's been doing this for about a month now, not every day, but when she wants a certain dress on, she is determined.

Here she is, still crying. She's moved from the hallway into her bedroom. This is the dress she's apparently picked out for the day. How was I supposed to know? She's also extremely frustrated because she hasn't figured out how to get the dress off the hanger.

This is when I give in because I don't really care what she wears at this point. Here are the instantaneous results! A happy girl, wearing the perfect outfit.

Now it's time to get the hair done.So, here are the questions of the day. Is this spoiling her? Is this a classic case of a pushover mom? Should I put my foot down? Is it too early for her to be having this much independence? Am I starting a bad habit?

I am torn. The girlie side of me thinks it's pretty comedic, but the tomboy side of me thinks it's crazy and a waste of time.

I need help here people...I am in over my head!!!
What do you think?

Family Night Fun!

Tonight for family night we got a little crazy and made caramel apples with the kids. Actually it was just with Luke and Emry, we ended up putting Carley to bed. Neither Trent nor I had ever made them, so we thought it would be a fun thing to do, and we were right!

We all helped to unwrap the caramels and I have to give all of us some credit here because there were no caramel casualties....every last one made it into the pan. I didn't even have to remind the kids or Trent not to eat them, I was really surprised that Emry didn't try to snitch one, she is the Queen Snitcher, I'm really proud of her!!

Here are the apples all washed and waiting for Trent to put their sticks in.

Here we are melting the caramel and marshmallow creme. Well, I am melting the caramel, Luke and Emry are eating marshmallow creme!!

The beautiful and not so beautiful finished products!

At this point we let the apples set up while we finished our family night lesson.
When we were finished we enjoyed our creations!

The recipe:
4-5 apples
1 package (14oz) caramels
1 tablespoon water
1 cup marshmallow creme
macadamia nuts or pecans coarsely chopped
bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate candy bar (about 2oz), broken into small pieces

1. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper and grease; set aside. (we used tin foil sprayed with pam) Wash and dry apples completely. Remove stems. Insert craft sticks into centers of apples.
2. Combine caramels, marshmallow creme and water in small saucepan. Simmer over low heat until caramels melt and mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Immediately dip apples, one at a time, into caramel to cover completely. Scrape excess caramel from bottom of apple onto side of saucepan, letting excess drip back into pan.
3. Immediately roll apples in nuts to lightly coat, pressing nuts lightly with fingers so they stick to caramel. Place apples, stick side up, on prepared baking sheet. Let stand 20 minutes or until caramel is set.
4. Place chocolate in small resealable plastic freezer bag; seal bag. Microwave at MEDIUM power 1 minute. Turn bag over; repeat until melted. Knead bag until chocolate is smooth. Cut off very tiny corner of bag; pipe or drizzle chocolate over apples. Let apples stand 30 minutes or until chocolate is set. Store loosely covered in refrigerator up to 3 days.
   

Note: We didn't care for the chocolate. It was a bit much for our taste buds. Next time we might consider trying a milk chocolate otherwise none at all. We will also use smaller apples.
Live and learn.

News Flash...Exclusive...Price Children Give Interviews!

The Price family's children have made numerous appearances on this blog over the past few months, but have never been much for words, until now. In this exclusive candid interview, the Price children tell all, and you won't see it anywhere else!

These photos were taken at the time of interview. Since this interview, Carley has had a bath, Emry's changed clothes twice and Luke is out the door playing with friends.

Favorite breakfast:
L- cheerios with honey.
E- um, waffles.
C- yogurt, rice cereal, oatmeal, malt o meal, waffles..everything.

Favorite dinner:
L- pizza.
E- ummmmmm, spaghetti noodles.
C- spaghetti, peas, rice, chicken.

Favorite treat:
L- apple pie.
E- cupcakes and muddy buddies.
C- ice cream (will scream for ice cream!).

What is your worst food:
L- salsa.
E- meat.
C- yet to be determined.

Favorite time of day:
L- math time, which is after lunch.
E- pool time.
C- bath time and anytime we're outside.

Favorite movie:
L- Bridge to Terabithia.
E- Island Princess and Fairytopia and Secret Garden.
C- Whatever Luke and Emry are watching, I don't pay much attention.

Favorite song:
L- Harry Potter music.
E- starts to sing, "lollipop, lollipop oh lolli lolli pop".
C- the good bye song, you know, na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, good bye.

Favorite primary song:
L- Called To Serve.
E- Sunbeam.
C- I Am A Child of God.

Favorite game:
L- Star Wars.
E- Candyland.
C- chase or I'm gonna get you....they both drive her completely insane!

Favorite color:
L- black, blue and red.
E- pink and purple and white and silver and red.
C- pink, she goes for it every time.

Favorite place to go with the family:
L- Disneyland.
E- to the mall and Disneyland.
C- the beach, she loves to play in the surf and sand.

Favorite toy:
L- my toy motorcycle.
E- princesses and Polly pockets.
C- dress ups and stroller.

What is something that you don't like:
L- teachers blowing their whistles, it hurts my ears.
E- being pushed.
C- having something taken away from her.

(the next 3 are for Luke & Emry only)
What grade are you in?
L- first grade.
E- I'm a preschooler.

Who is your teacher?
L- Mrs. Hoff.
E- Mrs. Stacey.

What is your favorite part of school?
L- math time.
E- we play games. I like to sing songs. I like to play at the playground on the train.

What's your favorite book?
L- Spiderwick Chronicles.
E- princess ones and Olivia.
C- Hand Hand Fingers Thumb and Dr. Seuss's ABC book.

What are you going to be for Halloween?
L- Speed Racer!
E- A kitty cat! she's very excited about it.
C- A fairy!

What is the funnest thing you've ever done with your family?
L- At the Price family reunion when we made those glow in the dark balls and played with them at night time.
E- At Disneyland we go on a roller coaster...umm thank you for going to the beach.
C- go swimming and get pushed on the swings.

What do you like to do in your free time?
L- play speed racer on the wii or play with my cowboys and Indians.
E- play Polly pockets.
C- wander around aimlessly, getting in to whatever I feel like.

Luke, how do you feel about being the only boy in the family?
oh, sad.

Luke, what do you like about your sister Emry?
that's a hard one. giggles. she's nice and plays with me.

What do you like about Carley?
L- she plays with me. I like to make her laugh and she makes me laugh. E- happy, because she always laughs when I make funny noises.

How do you feel about your brother Lucas?
E- um, happy. I like him because he's so cool and he plays. He likes to go on the slip n slide.
C- I love him. He always plays with me and makes me laugh.

Have you been to Disneyland yet?
L- Yes.
E- Yes, but we didn't go today yet.
C- yes, I got to pet Eeyore and ride a few rides...the pirates of the Caribbean ride really scares me.

What is your favorite ride there?
L- splash mountain and space mountain, i kind of like matter horn. I laugh so hard when I get off, I want to go on again.
E- the roller coaster, dumbo, merry go round and peter pan.
C- the Winnie the pooh ride.

What characters have you seen?
L- Stitch, Chip & Dale, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse.
E- um, Mickey Mouse, Jasmine, Snow White, Cinderella, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger.
C- Eeyore, Tigger, Pooh Bear...if we saw any others I didn't notice.

What do you like most about going to church?
L- singing.
E- you go in your class first.
C- playing with other kids' toys.

What's your favorite church story?
L- David & Goliath.
E- Jesus helps someone who prays to him.
C- Jesus and the lost sheep (we have a book that has removable sheep, she likes it).

Are you a good helper?
L- I am a good helper.
E- yes, sure.
C- nope, I'm a good destroyer.

What jobs do you do around the house?
L- clean up the bathroom, brush my teeth twice a day, play with Carley when you say to like if you need to go somewhere and she's near you, put my laundry away, pick up toys, clear my plate.
E- clean up toys, put away shoes, um help put Carley to sleep...do you got that.
C- toss toys out of the toy box, throw food off my high chair tray, pull toilet paper off the roll, pull all the books off the book shelf.

Do you listen to your parents?
L- yes.
E- yes.
C- sometimes.

What does your dad do for work?
L- He helps people at the hospital.
E- helps people who are sick.
C- tend to my every desire.

What does your mom do for work?
L- tries to keep us busy.
E- help clean up.
C- tend to my every desire.

Who works harder, Dad or Mom?
L- Dad works harder because he has lots of people to look at.
E- Dad, right? Does Dad work hard, Yep...and mommy (at this point she just trailed off).
C- It's a toss up. I have to cry a lot harder to get what I want from Dad...Mom's a pushover.

What do you like most about your parents?
L- I like my parents because they let me play on the wii.
E- because you let me play and eat dinner and get snacks after you eat. C- they feed me, snuggle me and make me laugh.

Well there you have it, straight from the mouths of the Price children. Reporting doesn't get any better than that folks....we'll check back next year to see how things have changed.

An Eventful Columbus Day Holiday Weekend

We had a great weekend and enjoyed the time Trent was able to spend with us! Here is the low down, day by day....

SATURDAY

We spent the morning cleaning the house. I am putting this in writing because Luke and Emry were such troopers! They complained bitterly for the first half hour (and got absolutely NOTHING done). Then, all of a sudden, they both decided to snap out of it and instantly became the biggest helpers. It was so nice to see them work together to accomplish tasks, report on their handiwork, and in return receive new orders! They were rewarded with the afternoon off and spent it playing with friends around the neighborhood. For dinner, we took them to McDonald's where they (and I mean Emry too) scarfed down all of their happy meals in about 60 seconds flat. Then they were off to play on the toys while Trent and I finished our meals in relative peace.

SUNDAY

We slept in and only made it to sacrament meeting at church. It was my fault, I had been up part of the night with Emry whose was having some serious nightmares. It was her first official full blown night of terrors! I woke up to her screaming, "NO!" "GET OFF ME!" "MOM" "NOOOO!" "MAMA!" It was really scary, the kind of screams that make you jump out of bed before you're brain has time to register what is going on. I opened my door to a frantic little girl, scared out of her mind. The dream was so real and vivid that she was shaking. I held her for a minute and tried to ask the right questions to find out the source of such terrible screams. She said that their were dust bunnies, butterflies and bugs stinging and biting her. I didn't know what to do, so I did the best I could and shushed them all away. In my most stearn and serious tone, I said "SSH... GO AWAY!" over and over again as we walked back into her room. I thought we were making some headway until we got to her doorway and she slammed on the breaks. I'm talking stiff body, feet dug into the carpet....it was apparent she was not ready to reenter. I coaxed her back into the room by eliciting her help with the sshushing. It worked and I got her back to bed. Anyway, to make a long story shorter, I ended up staying with her until she fell asleep.

The next morning she'd forgotten all about her nighttime activities, which surprised me. However, she hasn't really forgotten. Every night since, she's asked me if the dust bunnies will come back and I have to remind her that they probably won't, but that just in case, she should remember to sshush them and think about lollipops and skittles....so far so good.

Later that afternoon, we took a drive up to San Onofre Beach and took this leisurely walk.

Beautiful Pampas grass. I think it's so pretty.

My little family.

This is the windmill at THE POINT, San Onofre State Beach
We thought it was pretty cool. This is one of the best surfing spots around.
You will find surfers here all year round.

Emry & Luke made this rock pile, they were very proud of it.
So proud, that we couldn't leave until they had finished.

These are our treasure bags. They are to be filled with whatever fancies your eye.
On this occasion they were filled to the brim.

MONDAY

Trent spent the morning getting our tires changed on the van and worked on a presentation for work. While he was busy, I took the kids for a long (2 1/2 mile) walk with some friends. The kids loved looking for all the wildlife around Lake O'Neil. After lunch, my brother Taylor, came down to help Trent replace the spark plugs in our van. It was a quick visit, but we appreciated his skills and willingness to help.

Here is where the day gets a little crazy. Around 1pm Luke asked if he could go down the street (seriously 5 houses away) and play with his friends Samuel & Nathan Jarvis. I said sure, so off he went. About 2 minutes later, an MP (Military Police) knocked on our door with Luke in tow....we were a little taken aback. My first thought was, what did he do? Was he walking down the middle of the road? Trent answered the door and the MP said, "I found this boy walking barefoot down the sidewalk. Do you know where he was going? He said he was going to a friends house. I'm just returning him to you." We didn't say anything, we just stared at him and Trent said, "OK". And that was it. He turned around and left. We were baffled and immediately turned to Luke to ask what had happened. Luke of course, so tenderhearted, burst into tears. The MP had scared him half to death. Trent, Taylor and I all burst into laughter as we realized that we had now idea what had just happened and thought it was pretty ridiculous. We were still unsure as to why the MP had brought him home. Was it because he was barefoot? To that comment Taylor said, "No shirt, No shoes, No service", we began laughing harder. Luke pulled himself together, put his shoes on and decided that he was going to try again to go down to his friends house. I asked him if he wanted me to come outside and watch to make sure he got there alright, but he wanted me to stay inside...so brave. Such a weird situation. I ended up calling the cop shop, Trent didn't want me to do this, to say my peace. They told me that it is policy to escort an unaccompanied minor home if they're out and about. Apparently they get calls all the time where parents don't know where their children are, or kids who wander the neighborhood for hours. My beef wasn't really with this policy, but I think the MP should have
#1 used Luke's name at our door, and not say, "this boy..."
#2 been polite
#3 told us that it was routine to bring a child home
I felt like he just left us with a scared child and no information. Poor Luke. Later Luke told us he was only 1 house away from his destination, which again made us laugh.

Then at 3pm Trent was on his way home from escorting Taylor off base and he noticed a huge black smoke cloud and fire on base! Because of the Santa Anna winds, the brush fire spread really quickly and they ended up evacuating a large portion of Camp Pendleton and part of Oceanside. Around dinnertime we lost power to our phone and Internet. We had TV, but only because we have satellite. So the remainder of the evening was spent glued to the TV for information. Luckily we aren't in any immediate danger, the fire isn't as bad as last year. They still don't have it contained 100%, but we got our phone and Internet back a few hours ago.

This was the view Monday evening from our neighborhood. It looks closer than it actually was. It was a few canyons over with a lot of buildings in between it and us.

This view is from our friend's home. They live just outside base. The base is on the other side of that ridge. Their is a huge fire break all along the ridge, but the fire burned right up next to it, scary!

Well, that pretty much sums up this detailed account of the eventful weekend we've just experienced!! Peace Out--

5 favorite things...october 12, 2008

• sugar cookies. i made a double batch on friday and we finished up the last of them today at lunch...we even ate them for breakfast this morning!
• new recipes to try
• snuggling
• the smell of stove top stuffing, it makes my mouth water
  
• the sound of wind passing through the trees (the Santa Anna's have started)
• my pillow
  

BOO! A Halloween Tradition

For the last few years we have done this fun family/neighborhood activity. It never fails to entertain! It's kind of like doing May Day baskets, but you do Halloween treats instead and those who've already been BOOed, tape a ghost sign on their door! The kids love to doorbell ditch the treats. It's supposed to be a secret, but we always get caught at least once (last night we got caught twice). Here's how it went down.....

Emry and I made cookies and frosting while Luke was at school. She has become quite the little helper in the kitchen. She has some seriously mad stirring and dumping skills! I baked the cookies during quiet time and then we got all the sprinkles and trays out. Let me tell you, it was hard to keep Emry focused on the task at hand once I got out all the sprinkles and decorating tools. Her eyes went bug eyed and she grinned a huge smile. By the time we got past the initial delight, and fished out the Halloween sprinkles (have you ever tried to explain to a 4 year old girl why pink sparkles and candy cane sprinkles don't belong on Halloween cookies????) Luke was off the bus. He was so excited when he saw what was up at our house. He got so into the secret part, that when he heard his friends coming to see if he could play, he closed all the blinds. He wanted to pretend that we weren't home, but we decided that wasn't very nice, so he politely went to the door and told them he couldn't play for a while because he was busy.

A master decorator at work.

Another master decorator...OOPS, I mean finger licker at work. She did a lot better than last time we decorated cookies, but she still has some learning to do. I could tell that she was really trying hard not to put those fingers in her mouth, but she just couldn't help it. It was like some unknown force was drawing her fingers to her mouth to taste of the yummy goodness that was on them. She spent more time washing her hands than decorating!

The evidence.
Actually this photo is pretty tame. After this she started using the black sprinkles and they stained her fingertips pretty good.

These are our scariest Halloween faces!

You might be wondering where Carley was while we were decorating and messing up the kitchen....she was napping! We don't allow her to be around when we do projects like this. She's too curious and tall!! The little stinker.

Here's how her mind works (this is an actual interpretation of the thoughts in her head!!)

Step 1...ooooh, I spy something pretty.

Step 2...If I stand on my tippy toes and reach as far as my little arm can and dig those fingertips into that colorful thing....ha, I got some.

Step 3...Now quick, before anyone sees, stick gooey fingertips into mouth and Mmmm Mmmm Mmmmm. I'm goin' back for more!

Viola, the though processes of Carley Price.

If you've never BOOed your neighbors and would like to you can find the template here.

Halloween crafts

At MRE (Military Relief Enrichment) yesterday we made some cute Halloween themed crafts. The ladies at church are always so good to us! We had a great lesson about giving and receiving thanks, enjoyed good company, made 2 super cute holiday crafts, ate yummy taco salad....and the best part was that they babysat our kids too! It's so wonderful to be able to visit, uninterrupted, with adults!!

This little pot is so cute. My kids were so excited when they saw it. Emry carried it in her lap, most carefully all the way home from the church. Luke really just wanted to eat the mummy and Frankenstein.

I love this simple banner. It's made from tea dyed muslin and Halloween stamps! Now I just have to decide where to hang it...everyone has a different idea of where it should be hung?????

5 favorite things...october 5, 2008

• Twice a year The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds a General Conference that is televised world wide. Conference weekend is always much anticipated since we get to hear from various church leaders, the 12 apostles and our beloved prophet, Thomas S. Monson. It was wonderful to participate in conference, to feel the spirit and to hear the inspired words of all who spoke. For more information on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or to hear the talks given click here or here.
  
• Cool, crisp, fall mornings that make you want to linger just a little longer than normal under the warmth of your covers.
• Soup season. Today we ate chili and corn bread with honey butter. Mm Mm Mm
  
• Bounce houses...you remember, the kind that every kid lined up for at the local fair or carnival. Luke went to a birthday party yesterday and they had rented one. The boys barely came out for cake!
  
• Foods of the Harvest. The stores are full these icons of fall. My kids have enjoyed seeing all the different types of pumpkins, apples, squash and gourds that fill the entryways to the stores. To me they signify yummy comfort foods, fun decorations and jack o lanterns. But most of all, it makes me miss my mom's homemade applesauce. If I lived closer to her, I'd steal some of her jars or perhaps take a more legitimate approach and help her with the canning.
  

My October Tribute to Nie Nie

In true Nie Nie fashion, we gathered around the TV last night to enjoy the month of October with a Halloween movie. We got out the Halloween plates and ate treats as we watched. It was a fun time and a good way to make this month a little different than normal. I always pack my holiday books and movies away with my decorations, so my kids love it when I haul them out. It makes them appreciate the stories and videos so much more. We are planning on having a few more movie nights throughout the month.

Our favorite family Halloween movies are (in no particular order):

• The Nightmare Before Christmas (this gets watched until after Christmas and sometimes in the summer too, it's just too good to have packed away all year)
• The Adventures of Ichabod Crane
• The Heffalump Halloween movie
• It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
• ET
  

Let October Begin!!!

I decorated for halloween today! It's always so much fun to get all the boxes out and arrange the spooky stuff all over my house!! I love halloween because it is such a stress free & fun holiday. I love to make halloween treats, and to make my children smile.

This month is fun, fun, fun!!!

This spooky spider is NOT a decoration. You'll find him in the center of the web. We found this guy outside our side door. His web is absolutely amazing! I'd say the same of him, but he's just big and ugly. Luckily Trent grabbed the camera and got these great shots of our creepy little neighbor. For more information about our little friend click here.

HAPPY HAUNTING!